Stop motion bobbin



Jan. 20, 1942. w. 1-. BRlGGS STOP MOTION BOBBIN 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 20, 1941 Inventor 14411210270 flameszr a Attorney Jan. 20, 1942. w. T. BRIGGS 2,270,645

STOP MOTION BOBBIN Filed May 20, 194; 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 7 Lu E U an? lV/ZZZ'QWZ 72022746 Brgys v By Attorney Jan. 20, 1942. w. T. BRIGGS STOP MOTION BOBBIN s Shets-Sheet 3 Filed May 20, 1941 Inventor lV 'Z/z'azz 7%); Brf'y s By 24mm Attorney STOP MOTION BOBBIN William Thomas Briggs, Harriman,

signer of fifty per cent to Thomas Harriman, Tenn.

Tenm, as- L. Bowman,

Application May 20, 1941, Serial No. 394,360

6 Claims. The present invention relates to new and useful improvements in knitting machines, and has particular reference to means for actuating the stop motion of the machine upon exhaustion or near exhaustion of the thread or yarn on the bobbin.

An important object of the present invention is to provide an expansible bobbin which is normally held in contracted position by the yarn wound thereon and adapted to expand upon the releasing of the yarn or the unwinding of the yarn therefrom for the purpose of operating the trip mechanism to control the usual stop motion of the machine.

A further important object is to provide a device of this character which is simple and practical in construction, which is eflicient and reliable in performance, and relatively inexpensive to manufacture and install in operative position and otherwise well adapted for the purposes for which the same is intended.

Other objects and advantages reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary top plan view of a knitting machine showing the bobbin and stop motion trip mechanism mounted thereon.

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of one of the bobbins.

Figure 3 is a similar view with part of the bobbin shown in section.

Figure 4 is a bottom plan view of the bobbin.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view thereof.

Figure 6 is a similar view showing the bobbin in its expanded position.

Figure '7 is a perspective view of the spring expanding member for the bobbin.

Figure 8 is a fragmentary top plan view of a modified form of trip mechanism.

Figure 9 is a side elevational view of the spring trip device shown in Figure 8, and

Figure 10 is a perspective view of a further modified construction of the trip arm.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, the bobbin or cone is designated generally at 5 upon which the yarn or thread 6 is wound in the usual manner, the cone or bobbin being supported on the frame I of conventional form for rotatably supporting the cone while the thread or yarn is being unwound therefrom.

The cones are usually constructed of cardboard or similar material and the bottom end of the coneis provided with a segment 8 formed by providing a pair of spaced slits 8 extending upwardly from the bottom edge of the cone in upwardly converging relation as shown to advantage in Figure'2 of the drawings, the upper end of the segment being connected to the body of the cone by an unsevered portion I8 whereby to permit the lower end of the segment to spring outwardly in a manner substantially to expand the diameter of the lower end of the cone.

To produce this expanding action of the segment I provide a leaf spring II positioned in the cone with one end bearing against the segment and its opposite end bearing against a relative opposite side of the cone as shown to advantage in Figures 4, 5 and 6 of the drawings.

The thread or yarn wrapping carried by the cone also extends over the segment 8 and accordingly the segment is normally held in a retracted position by the thread. However, when the thread becomes unwound from the base portion of the cone the spring I I will serve to project the segment 8 outwardly in substantially a manner to expand the lower portion of the cone.

This expanding action of the segment 8 is utilized to operate the conventional stop motion of the knitting machine by means of a trip mechanism which includes an arm I2 pivoted as at I3 to the frame It of the machine, one end of the arm having a trip device I5 attached thereto of conventional construction and from which the control wires I6 lead to the stop motion of the machine.

The arm I2 is provided with a plurality of longitudinally spaced slots I! in which one end of links I8 are selectively engaged, said ends of the links being preferably of hook-shape as shown at I9 in Figure 10 of the drawings, the other end of the link being pivotally attached as at I8 to one end of a rod 20 which is pivoted intermediate its ends as at 2| to the-frame I4. To the other end of the rod 20 is secured a laterally projecting finger 22 which has its free end disposed adjacent the lower portion 01 the cone 5 and in the path of the segment 8 when the latter is projected or expanded outwardly by the spring II.

Accordingly, upon the actuation of the finger 22 by the outwardly projected segment 8 the arm I2 will be actuated by the rod 20 and link I8 in a direction to release the trip mechanism I5 and thus operate the stop motion of the machine for the purpose of permitting replenishment of the cone on which the thread has become exhausted.

As shown to advantage in Figure 1 of the drawings, each of the cones I are provided with an actuating device for the arm l2 which includes the link l8, rod 20 and finger 22.

In Figures 8 and 9 of the drawings, I have illustrated a modified form of trip actuating device which includes a wire spring member designated generally at 23 having its ends connected by a head 24 to which the link 25 is attached to form the connection with the arm I2, the member 23 having a coil spring 26 formed intermediate its ends and through which the screw 21 is inserted for pivotally mounting the device on the frame ll. Extending from the coil 26 is a finger 28 in the form or a loop which terminates adjacent the cone in the path of the outwardly projected segment 8 of the cone.

In Figure a further modified trip actuating device is provided which comprises a rigid wire member 29 having the hook I! at one end 20 for engaging a slot ll of the arm l2 while the other end 3| of the member constitutes the finger for engagement by the segment 2 of the cone. The intermediate portion 32 of the member 29 is bent at right angles to the ends 30 and ii and constitutes a lever having an eye 23 intermediate its ends for pivoting to the frame of the machine.

It is believed the details of construction, advantages and manner of use of the device will be readily understood from the foregoing without further detailed explanation.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. Actuating means for the stop motion mechanism of a textile machine comprising a trip normally retaining the mechanism inactive, a bobbin including an expansible shell adapted to be retained in contracted position by the thread wound thereon and released for expanding movement upon a predetermined exhaustion of the thread, and trip releasing means disposed in the path of the expanded bobbin for actuation thereby.

2. Actuating means for the stop motion mechanism of a textile machine comprising a trip normally retaining the mechanism'inactive, a bobbin including an expansible shell adapted to be retained in contracted position by the thread wound thereon and released for expanding movement upon a predetermined exhaustion of the thread. a trip actuated finger disposed in the path oi. the expanded bobbin and means operatively connecting the finger to the trip.

3. An expansible bobbin for actuating the trip device of a stop motion mechanism of a textile' machine, said bobbin comprising a conical shell, a segment forming part of the shell and means for projecting the segment outwardly relative to the surface of the shell upon a predetermined exhaustion of the thread on the bobbin into a position for engaging said trip device.

4. An expansible bobbin for actuating the trip device 01' a stop motion mechanism of a textile machine, said bobbin comprising a conical shell. a segment forming part of the shell and spring means for projecting the segment outwardly relative to the surface of the shell upon a predetermined exhaustion of the thread on the bobbin into a position for engaging said trip device.

5. A bobbin adapted for actuating a stop motion mechanism for textile machines said bobbin being adapted to have thread wound thereon and unwound therefrom, andincluding a spring actuated part carried by the bobbin norm-ally held inactive by the thread, said spring actuated part being released upon a predetermined unwinding of the thread for movement into a position for actuating the said mechanism.

6. A bobbin adapted for actuating a stop motion mechanism for textile machines said bobbin adapted to have thread wound thereon an unwound therefrom, a movable flap carried by the bobbin and normally held inactive by the thread 

